Senior Merchandise Planner - Hype DC

Colonial Group; New South Wales; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Hype DC is seeking a Senior Merchandise Planner to drive merchandise planning across our multi-brand footwear portfolio in Australia and New Zealand. You will lead sales, margin, stock and intake forecasting, and collaborate with Buying, Retail Operations, Marketing and brand partners to turn trade performance into commercial actions.

You will also lead and develop a Merchandise Planner and Allocator, supporting the Planning Manager across the portfolio and exploring smarter ways of working with

Qualifications

• 5+ years’ merchandise planning experience in a fast-paced retail environment (ideally footwear).
• Strong experience across forecasting, Open-to-Buy and stock governance.
• Excellent analytical skills with ability to translate data into actionable recommendations.
• Experience leading or mentoring team members and managing stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead sales, margin, stock and intake forecasting and reforecasting.
• Review weekly trade performance and translate insights into actions.
• Guide allocation and replenishment strategies to maximise availability and sell-through.
• Develop and coach a Merchandise Planner and Allocator; support Planning Manager.

Skills

Merchandise planning

Analytical thinking

Stakeholder management

Team leadership

Strategic thinking

Tools

Excel (Lookup, SUMIFS, Pivot Tables)

FSR or similar merchandise planning system

Job description

We’re looking for a Senior Merchandise Planner to join Hype DC and take the lead on merchandise planning across our multi-brand footwear portfolio in Australia and New Zealand.

You’ll be responsible for driving sales, margin, stock and inventory outcomes, working closely with Buying, Retail Operations, Marketing, Digital and our brand partners to turn trade performance into commercial action.

You’ll also lead and develop a Merchandise Planner and Allocator, while supporting the Planning Manager across the broader Hype DC portfolio.

What you’ll get stuck into:

• Leading sales, margin, stock and intake forecasting and reforecasting
• Reviewing weekly trade performance and turning insights into clear actions
• Guiding allocation and replenishment strategies to maximise availability and sell-through
• Building tactical trade plans to improve underperforming areas
• Planning for key trade events across sales, stock, promotions and allocations
• Managing monthly forecast reviews and identifying risks and opportunities
• Leading brand and post-season reviews to inform future ranges, purchases and store grading
• Supporting annual sales, margin, intake and stock budgets
• Coaching and developing a Merchandise Planner and Allocator

What we’re looking for:

• 5+ years’ merchandise planning experience in a fast-paced retail environment, ideally footwear
• Strong experience across MSSI/WSSI, Open-to-Buy, forecasting, markdown management and stock governance
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to turn data into clear commercial recommendations
• Experience leading, mentoring or developing team members
• Confident stakeholder management and presentation skills
• Intermediate to advanced Excel skills, including Lookups, SUMIFS and Pivot Tables
• Experience with merchandise financial planning systems such as FSR
• Experience across assortment planning, width vs depth analysis and price architecture is advantageous
• Strong communication, organisation and attention to detail
• A genuine interest in using AI to find smarter ways of working